Thank you all so much for coming along to support the event; we hope you enjoyed it. Having Lynn Hill visit this year was a highlight of our 17 years and tickets sold faster than we had ever seen before. She lived up to her reputation; she was warm, humble and a climber through and through. She made the most of her time here, climbing out at Hospital Flat and best of all inviting the local climbing community, young and old, to join her in climbing sessions at the local indoor wall. Her generous spirit and passion for the sport of climbing shone through. It has been an absolute honour to host Lynn for this year’s event.
People’s Choice
The People’s Choice award went to Ascending Afghanistan: Women Rising from director Erik Osterholm from Afghanistan. The film was an NZ Premiere and it took a look at the plight of women in Afghanistan and their terrible treatment under the Taliban dictatorship. A diverse group of women formed a climbing team and were trained in an attempt to summit one of the region’s highest peaks. The climbing experience became a catalyst for change for many of the women. The sense of accomplishment, and achieving goals that at the outset looked impossible, charged the women with energy and enthusiasm for a new future. This story was eye-opening, at times challenging and gave a raw insight into a society with little freedom for women.
Waste not, want not
Our audience response to our final rubbish tally was awesome. From our kitchen and café we managed to keep waste to just one and a half rubbish bags. Jo Sedon, our festival Founder, also donned gloves and gave the rubbish a very good sort to pull out anything that may have been compostable or recyclable. Now that’s commitment! The response on social media to our one-and-a-half-bags was awesome; this tells us you are behind us all the way. Thanks to all of you who played your part by bringing your own cups, not hitting print, and saying no to buying unnecessary coffee cups, bottled water and packaging. We are stoked that over 4,000 people came through the doors and took a mindful approach to the impact of our event; we appreciate your support, thank you.
Auction proceeds go to Grant Scheme, apply now!
The silent auction in Wanaka raised over $5,200 for the NZ Mountain Film Festival Charitable Trust’s grant scheme. Sponsors and local businesses donated items for the auction, which included ski area passes, heli-skiing, Wild Wire, massages, tree-trimming services and other outdoor products.
The Grant Scheme supports:
– Youth (18 years and under) in adventure film making courses and/or adventure skills training
– Environmental projects such as river clean-ups, native tree re-planting
– People with disabilities by providing funding to buy specialist sporting equipment
Grant applications are open until August 30 online here. We look forward to reading your applications!
And now we go on tour!
It ain’t over yet! NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival now launches its National Tour. A selection of films tours the country and is hosted by local venues, clubs and community groups that support adventure films. We suggest taking a look at the schedule on our website and shoulder-tapping your friends in different areas. The line-up will include the Grand Prize winner and other award-winning films. Last year, some of the proceeds from the tour went to our Grant scheme; this means more money to help youth into the outdoors, folks with disabilities into adventure and to support environmental projects and initiatives. It’s a win-win.
Thank you
Lastly, thank you again for supporting our event. As our audience grows it also becomes closer. The sense of community and like-mindedness is amazing. We know many adventures are initiated during the festival and this is the best result we could ask for. Gathering together and being inspired sets the expedition wheels in motion. This means more adventure films and more times with friends in the great outdoors. Cheers for coming along!
